Chances are high that you will be exposed to seasonal and H1N1 influenza viruses this winter. If you have a chronic condition, you are more vulnerable to serious consequences. So what is the best way to protect yourself?

After a discussion with your physician, you may choose to get one or both vaccines. Hopefully you will be protected in a few weeks -- but some at-risk people do not mount an effective response to influenza vaccines. In a study of elderly persons, influenza antibody levels barely increased after immunization.1 Other high risk populations may also respond poorly.2,3

Research suggests several strategies to strengthen your defense against the influenza virus and boost your response to the influenza vaccine. Influenza infection leads to decreased levels of antioxidants in the lungs and liver.4,5 This oxidative stress can promote influenza infection.5 Antioxidants can have major benefits in fighting influenza.

An important study of 262 people found that 79% of people developed symptoms after being exposed to an H1N1 influenza strain. But only 25% of participants taking an antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine (NAC) developed symptoms after being exposed. An additional benefit was that the symptoms were less severe in the NAC-treated group.6 Two studies in mice showed that NAC also can synergize with antiviral medications. Mice treated with NAC and either Tamiflu7 or ribavirin8 were more likely to survive a lethal dose of influenza than mice treated with the antiviral alone.

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